Grassley dishes on G-7 summit, farm bill progress

By: 
Robert Maharry

The 45th president campaigned on an “America First” platform, and according to U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Donald Trump’s aggressive posturing at the G-7 summit in Canada was little more than a reflection of his core convictions.
           
“If the president of the United States doesn’t look out for the workers of the United States, the chancellor of Germany isn’t going to do it. She’s got a full-time job there in Berlin, so the president’s trying to get a better trade deal for the American worker,” Grassley said. “We’re a low tariff country. Why don’t other countries get their tariffs down?”
           
During a 10-minute conference call with Iowa reporters on Monday afternoon, the senior Senator noted that the president won the election as an anti-globalist trade protectionist and that Trump is “trying to do something” rather than making empty promises to the American people. He did, however, concede that a failure to successfully renegotiate the agreements with other governments—including ostensible allies like Canada, Germany and France—could be catastrophic for agriculture in the future.
           
Grassley is still hopeful that a Farm Bill will be passed this year, and he continues to push for established limits on government subsidy payments—particularly for absentee landowners. As one of the only farmers in Congress, the Senator realizes that his hard line position on the matter may surprise some of his colleagues, but he sees it as an easy way to cut wasteful spending.
           
“You could be a Wall Street banker. You could be a hedge fund operator and participate in the farm programs. You don’t even need to get dirt under your fingernails,” he said. “I voted against the (House) Farm Bill because, quite frankly, they didn’t abide by the rules. They obliterated my amendment putting this hard cap on, so you can see why I’m so intense.” 
 
Read the full story in this week's Grundy Register. Subscribe by calling (319) 824-6958 or clicking here. 

The Grundy Register

601 G. Avenue - P.O. Box 245
Grundy Center, IA 50638
Telephone: 1-319-824-6958
Fax: 1-800-340-0805

Mid-America Publishing

This newspaper is part of the Mid-America Publishing Family. Please visit www.midampublishing.com for more information.